RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK — A reader asked me the other day why Local Tech Wire is publishing more and more “Guest Opinion” pieces.

The answer is simple: We want LTW to become more than a news site. We want LTW to evolve into a forum where thought leaders among entrepreneurs, the venture capital, high-tech, life science and biotech exchange ideas, thoughts, plans and suggestions.

What are the trends in venture capital?

How can the Southeast improve its technology industry base?

Is the media biased?

What are the trends in hiring and firing?

How do you feel about the abrupt shutdown of companies such as Zoom Culture?

What happened to angel investors?

How can you do a better job of marketing and promoting your firm?

We want to discuss these topics – and many more.

Who is to blame for the capital crunch – tight-fisted VCs or entrepreneurs not coming up with good enough ideas and business plans?

How can state government foster high-tech growth?

An emerging lineup

Today, we published the second weekly column by John Yates, head of the technology practice at Morris, Manning & Yates. He is truly one of the high-tech pioneers in the Southeast. Our plan is for his column to appear each Wednesday.

LTW also features regular contributions from William Dunk, an international business consultant in Chapel Hill. He’s one of the brightest people I’ve ever met, and his observations about business trends are spot-on. Dunk’s review of annual reports each year is required reading by many who rely on him to detect and report the emerging trends among public companies. And when Bill writes his “Global Province” column, we’ll be sure to publish it.

We also regular publish views published by the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC. These people are firm believes in entrepreneurship and competition — on issues ranging from telecom deregulation to copyright and intellectual property.

But we at LTW are not stopping there.

Upcoming contributions

Bill Warner, former CEO at LiveWire Logic, just launched his own executive consulting firm, Paladin and Associates. And he will be a regular contributor to LTW, commenting on trends that he sees in corporate management and the high-tech sector.

Barry Beith and Dana Dorroh of HumanCentric Technologies, both of whom are long-time entrepreneurs, also are going to be contributing regularly. (We published a letter from Dana today; Barry’s first column on workplace pressure and employee loyalty will appear on Friday.)

Other people also have made contributions to LTW — such as Monica Doss of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, Rich Campbell of Sockwell & Associates, John Hood of the John Locke Foundation and Steve Nelson of Wakefield Partners. One of my favorites was the 50th anniversary remembrance of the discovery of DNA submitted by Michael Murphy and Dr. Gary Pace of Gentris.

Next week, Beverly Murray of r +m marketing, chimes in on trends in marketing.

Also, Matthew T. Michalewicz, chief executive officer of NuTech Solutions in Charlotte, explains why his company recently acquired another firm involved in the fascinating field of “complexity science.” (I didn’t dare try to explain what “complexity science” is; I don’t have the gray matter.)

It is LTW’s goal to publish a ‘Guest Opinion” each business day.

To meet that goal, we invite your ideas, suggestions and submissions.

We also welcome your feedback and reaction. For example, LTW asked Noah Pickus of the Institute for Emerging Issues to write a column about the recent Emerging Issues Forum. That article triggered a rebuttal from Thomas Vass.

So if you agree or disagree with an Opinion we publish, send LTW a response. We’ll be glad to publish it in the interest of creating more discussion and debate.

Discourse can lead to wonder advances and events. So fire up your PC and send your own ideas. We want to hear them. Send by email to rsmith8@nc.rr.com.

Rick Smith is managing editor of Local Tech Wire.